


Home, Love, Family

by RegallyWickedThirteen



Series: Outlaw Queen Prompt Party 2020 [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:15:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25727290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RegallyWickedThirteen/pseuds/RegallyWickedThirteen
Summary: It's Roland's birthday and his parents are determined to make it the best birthday party ever. That means going to their least favourite place - Target.
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan, Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Henry Mills, Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Robin Hood & Roland, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood, Prince Charming | David Nolan/Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard
Series: Outlaw Queen Prompt Party 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1857628
Comments: 8
Kudos: 12





	Home, Love, Family

**Author's Note:**

> Here is my third entry for this year's prompt party, we’re back to just fluff for this one with a dash of light bickering. Enjoy! (the angst begins tomorrow!)
> 
> Prompts covered: 70. Robin and Regina go to target. 190. Kids birthday party.  
> Probably worth noting I’m British and never actually been to target so I’m basing it on British Equivalent and their website! Also I get so confused with the timelines so just ignore all the mistakes with those - A&E did.

Regina remembers the first time she set foot into a Target, there were people everywhere, hustling and bustling and not looking or caring where they were going. You could also buy everything in there. It was an aladdin’s cove of treats from chocolate to bed linen and she wanted everything. She’d made her way down the fruit aisle - so much fresh produce, though she wondered how it could all be fresh when some of these vegetables were seasonal. She picked up two melons - she didn’t think she had ever had a melon before and put them to her chest, some buffoon laughed at her, and she stared back not understanding why the man found it so amusing. 

She made her way around the store and picked up various things but before she knew it her cart was full of goodness knows what, and when she paid she tried not to balk at how much she had actually spent. 

From that day Regina had a love/hate relationship with target and made sure that she went with a list and limited herself to buying 5 additional things. People who went into Target and came out with exactly what they went in deserve an award or something. 

///

Robin hates Target. He hates shopping in general. It’s the one aspect of modern life he’s never quite got his head around. Despite Regina’s teasing he is a man of the forest, and is used to making his own shelter and catching his own food. He’s not going to complain about living in a house - it’s nice to be able to watch and listen to the rain without worrying about if the tent is going to collapse any minute. He also likes the fact that he doesn’t have to catch food, and that he knows he can have enough food for 3 meals every day, a luxury he didn’t always get in the Enchanted Forest. He just doesn’t really understand what’s so amazing about a company charging you so much money for some stale bread or fruit that’s about to go off. He much prefers grocers markets and little independent stores - the quality is better, it’s more local, and he can get what he wants without getting a headache. Target is a maze with various food and household products. Robin had always led a simple life and much to Regina’s amusement Target stresses him out, not that she’s much better. 

Sometimes trips to Target are necessary, and every time he has to build himself up, it’s good when your child has managed to make a whole in his fourth pairs of short this week, he’s patched some of them up - Regina had laughed at him, but he was not wasting clothes he’d paid for. When Roland’s shorts were looking more like a patchwork quilt than his shorts Regina had told him that maybe it was time for some new ones - and they could give Roland’s to a charity shop. He’d begrudgingly agreed and gone to Target, he’d begged Regina to come with him, but she’d conveniently had mayoral business to attend to and couldn’t go with him. 

Mercifully he only needed to get Roland some shorts so he made his way straight to the clothing section, that in itself was way harder than it should be. Honestly they should make dodging shopping carts in target an Olympic sport. 

The only saving grace was that there were two sets of shorts in Roland’s size that were discounted, grabbing them and making the way to the checkout with the shortest queue (he couldn’t work the self checkouts something always beeped or flashed) and made his way back to Storybrooke. 

He arrived back to find Regina engrossed in a book Pride and Prejudice in the garden. 

“What town ordinance does that refer to milady?” he smirked

Regina had the decency to look at least a little guilty. 

“You survived Target I see?” 

“Barely” 

Regina laughed, she didn’t particularly like the store but Robin’s hatred of it was another level. 

///

It was two weeks later when Roland came bounding into their room at the crack of dawn announcing that it was 5 weeks and 2 days until his birthday and he wanted balloons and glitter and cake - lot of cake, presents (all for him not like christmas!), some posters (banners) and a bouncy castle. 

They both groaned telling him they could talk about all his birthday plans later. It was 10 minutes before they gave in - knowing talking about it now would be the only way they could attempt to have any peace in the next week. 

After Roland had rolled off his extensive list and they’d explained to him that he couldn’t have everything he wanted but that they would make sure he had a lovely birthday party, they set about making their own list. 

Regina would bake cookies, but they’d need to buy the cake - a chocolate one. They’d grab some balloons, Neither really wanted glitter - it would end up everywhere especially with a bunch of 6/7 year olds running around, but Roland had mentioned it at least three times so they’d have to find something with glitter on. 

They’d need paper plates and plastic cutlery. They were both all for saving the planet and reducing plastic waste but there was no way she was letting Roland and his friends loose with real cutlery - the bouncy castle would end up deflated and someone, probably Roland would end up in tears. 

Henry came in when they were just getting to the bottom of a seemingly never ending list. 

“Roland’s birthday prep?” he asked, laughing at his mom and dad’s haggard faces 

“Yes, your little brother is very demanding” Robin sighs

“It’s because you too are so soft, we both know we can ask you anything and get it” Henry smiled. 

“That’s not true, I’m not soft” Regina said indignantly. 

Henry just looked at her and smirked. 

“Mom remember that time when you went and bought every comic you could find when I had to have my first filling. Or when you got me a mini New England Patriots kit because I wanted to be like the other boys, even though you knew I hated football. You even let me keep the book with the truth about your curse in it, because you knew it made me happy. You always let Roland have an extra cookie and let him pick which story you’re going to read. You’re soft and you’ve always spoiled us a little but you also taught us how to be kind and grateful, and that’s why we love you” 

Regina would not cry, well maybe just a little bit, “Thank you my little prince” 

Robin looked on smiling, remembering when Regina had tried to convince him she was evil and that she shouldn’t be around his son, and he’d witnessed a very similar scene to the one he was now - with a slightly smaller Henry, he’d known then that if there was any doubt she would have upset Roland (there wasn’t any doubt anyway) then it had disappeared in that moment. 

“Dad, you’re definitely the real softie though” Henry chuckled - oh so apparently he wasn’t off the hook, 

Regina laughed. 

“You would literally hug trees if you could, you will save everything and anything even those horrible midge things that have no place on this earth. You will do anything if we ask enough times. Remember when I asked if you would teach me archery and mum was hesitant, you bought her favourite flowers every day until she said yes and then spent the next week trying to teach me even though my aim was well off. Roland only has to smile and you give him whatever he wants. You’re a romantic, but it’s why we love you” 

Regina just shrugged and he wasn’t going to deny it, sure it may mean they went a bit overboard on occasion but if that meant the family was happy then well they sure as hell deserved it. 

“Oh and enjoy target” 

Robin grabbed the nearest cushion and flung it at him, only missing because Henry just managed to close the door in time. 

Regina smiled - Robin could be such a child sometimes

“Am I really soft?” she asked. 

“Love you’re currently looking at me like a puppy who wants another treat” he replied

“I am not” 

Robin just stared at her. 

“Fine” 

“Being soft isn’t a bad thing, like Henry said it just means you care, and don’t worry there are still plenty of people in this town that are intimidated by you” 

That seemed to appease Regina. 

The next day they headed to Target, they’d agreed on a dinosaur theme and a bouncy castle. They knew Roland would have probably moved onto something else by the time it was his actual party but they were not leaving the planning and the buying until the last minute. 

They trudged around the store picking up things for the party bags: 

Wind up dinosaurs that would break within a day  
A cazoo to deafen all the parents with  
A balloon that would never get blown up  
A pen that probably didn’t work  
A multi pack of sweets - no Regina you cannot put a box of raisins in a party bag. 

They got the paper plates and napkins and some of the non perishables and put their order in for the cake. 

After what was only a couple of hours, but felt like a week, they finally paid, dreading the second trip they would have to make in a couple more weeks. 

///

The big day arrived and the seemingly endless trips to target were a success. 

Roland loved the dinosaur theme - showing every single guest the various different things with dinosaurs on, they all obliged and let the birthday boy have his moment, before he eventually got bored and decided to go on the bouncy castle. He almost had a tantrum when he realised he couldn’t bounce the highest, but Henry noticed and intervened, putting him on his shoulders (giving Regina a mild heart attack), stopping the tantrum. 

“They grow up so fast” Snow said watching Neal dart off to join the rest of the party 

“They do” Regina agreed, handing Snow a glass of non alcoholic punch, Snow gratefully accepted and they retreated to the marquee that had been declared as the grown up zone - the quietest, though that was a relative term, part of the party. 

Emma, late as always, joined them a moment later - 

“How did I, someone who permanently lives in leather jackets and jeans raise Hope. She wouldn’t stop crying until she tried everything on in her wardrobe before deciding she wanted to wear something with dinosaurs on because it’s a dinosaur party, which she doesn’t techincally own so we had to compromise on her dress with jungle animals on. If she asks dinosaurs definitely lived in the jungle” 

“And breathe” Snow said, practically pushing her onto the chair. 

“Hook” was Regina’s reply. 

Both Emma and Snow looked confused now 

“You asked why Hope was so fussy about what she was going to wear, Emma you may permanently live in leather jackets and jeans, but your husband changes his outfit 3 times a day - that’s excessive even for me” 

Emma nodded, “I made him sort his wardrobe out the other day - no one needs a shirt in every shade of blue” 

Regina laughed - “What did he say?” 

“But Emma they bring out the blue in my eyes.” she said in her best Hook impression.  
Regina laughed, she was pretty close. 

“Robin genuinely spends hours shaving his beard so it’s just right” she mentioned. 

“Yeah but you love the beard, Regina” Snow teased. 

“I never said I didn’t just that I wouldn’t notice if one hair was out of place. Also I see Charming has started growing one” 

It was Snow’s turn to blush and Emma’s turn to try and not listen. 

///

Their husbands were trying to make their way over, but kept getting embroiled in a game of cops and robbers. They were out very quickly and by the looks on their faces - it wasn’t out of pity or deliberate, making the three ladies laugh again. 

“Need to up your game” 

“We let them win” they said in unison, convincing nobody. 

“Yeah yeah whatever you say” 

///

They’d decided on a buffet which in theory everyone does because it’s easier but trying to top it up while a bunch of ravenous kids and adults is near impossible. 

After they’d half eaten sandwiches - filling themselves up on crisps, it was time to cut the cake. 

Roland had wanted to carry it out, but Robin had suggested carrying it together, and Roland had (mercifully) agreed. 

They sang or rather screeched happy birthday and it was time for Roland to blow the candles out. Everyone clapped when he, amazingly, blew them out all in one go. 

Once again the ganets descended and soon the kids were on their fifth, sixth sugar rush of the day. 

///

A couple of hours later the presents had been opened and Roland had finally crashed. 

Robin joined Regina on the veranda surveying the mess all around them. 

“I will never understand how kids make so much mess” she sighed. 

“Neither will I, but Roland and the other kids loved it, so I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“Neither would I” Regina agreed. “Sometimes this all doesn’t seem real, this seems like a dream, someone else’s life. I don’t say it enough but I love you and Roland, and our life. I love that our kids have found a friend in each other as well as just a sibling. I love our family, more than anything in the world” 

Robin pulled her closer and gave her a little swirl, and they began swaying and dancing in the moonlight, relishing the moment. 

Sometimes all we need are Home, Love and Family.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Let me know what you thought!
> 
> Day 4 of my OQ prompt Party can be found on my profile (it forms part of another verse!)


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